More than Ever Compete in Highland Run

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More than Ever Compete in Highland Run

The 18th annual Laugavegur run in Iceland’s south-central highlands will take place tomorrow. This year 357 runners are registered—more than ever before—105 women and 252 men, 216 of whom are Icelanders and 141 foreigners.

Foreign runners come from 29 different countries but the top three nations are the U.S. (29 participants), Germany (17 participants) and Canada (16 participants), mbl.is reports.

The run begins in Landmannalaugar geothermal area and ends in Húsadalur valley in highland oasis Þórsmörk. The Laugavegur route is 55 km (34 miles) and popular among hikers, who usually trek the distance in three to four days.

The records for the Laugavegur run are 4.19 hours among the men and five hours among the women. Runners not only have to tackle the significant elevation of the track but also the harsh climate, unstable weather conditions, snow and swelling rivers.